How do you change what appears on the Start Menu?  Easy.

Begin by right-clicking on the Start button (bottom left of the screen, probably), choose Properties, and click the Customize button.

Now there are a number of choices to ponder on.

• Size: You can make the symbols smaller - useful if you want to add lots more.
• I think that you should increase the number of frequently used programs to about a dozen. That way all the things you use most regularly will be displayed there - no more searching.
• Advanced tab: Have a good look through this - there are lots of options. You might turn off the list of recently opened documents, for example, if you don't want other users of the computer following your tracks.